I must say that I'm not overly familiar with the agitator version of the Oasis, but I imagine that with any washer it's important to choose the correct cycle for the clothes. I can't imagine just throwing a bra in the wash on a normal cycle in any machine and expecting it to come out ok.

I have the HE Oasis and have had no problems at all with the washer. I do sort my clothes carefully and use an appropriate cycle though. The huge capacity is wonderful for my family w/4 kids.

GL!

I've been using Fisher & Paykel washers since 1999. Their agitator is of a design similiar to the Oasis. I've not had any damage or tangling, but then I use the correct cycle selection for the clothes being washed.

{{!gwi}}

Thank you for your replies. I just got home from Sears and spent a lot of time looking at other machines. The salesperson did not seem to like the Kenmore Oasis HE without the agitator at all--he said there have been lots of complaints about it going off center or not rotating the clothes enough. He also said that it was good if you are doing small or medium loads--to which I responded "why would someone buy a washer with a 4.5 capacity for 1,000.00+ just to do small or medium loads?" Seems very odd indeed!

All of the sales people were very hard sell on front loaders (Kenmore HE5)--but that will not work for our space in the garage we have. I am only buying a washer, not a dryer--and the door of a front loader opens on the wrong side for our dryer (hope that makes sense). I also like a top loader better for being easier to load and unload. I know that Front loaders are great--but they just are not practical for our set up.

I am using all the right cycles (delicate, heavy, permanent press) right now--I will do it for a week while I try to decide what to do. Thanks for the advice about that--I know I should have been, but I never did with our old basic Kenmore, and never had any problems with bras or sweatpants getting tangled. I need to treat this machine with more care because it has more power.

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer!
Lisa

Dadoes,
It does look similar to the shape of that agitator, but there are some differences that create problems. The agitator on the Kenmore has very thin, flexible (bendable) fins attached to it--not solid fins. These fins can be easily bent and moved, and they are positioned a little too high off the base of the agitator, causing them to catch on small items. On the Sears website there are a few reviews on my model that mention these fins--and how they have ruined clothes for other people, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: a link to reviews about fins on agitator

lisa, I've found that a delicate laundry bag is a blessing in my front load washer. I really like the Woolite bag. There is a link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: woolite delicate laundry bag

I've seen the Oasis agitator. F&P fins are also flexible (moreso than they look in the picture, but not as much as the Oasis).

I just went to buy a new delicates laundry bag today. I am hoping this solves the bra situation--because you ladies have to know how heartbreaking it is to have a brand new bra ruined by your new washer, right? Actually it was 3 bras--two of mine (I discovered this morning that the underwire was ripped out of a brand new VS bra by the machine) and one of my daughter's--brand new, never worn!! Heartbreaking.

So I got the laundry bag from the hardware store, and hopefully that does help. But what about the sweatpants this machine ate? The legs got tangled under the fins, and the string wrapped around so many times it had to be cut. It just seems very odd. I am 41 years old and have used many machines over my life. I know how to do laundry (I have 3 kids and have spent a good part of my life doing laundry)--but I have never had things destroyed by a washing machine before. Since having this washer things have also bled onto each other--that was another thing that was ruined. I have used old machines at my parents house, college dorm machines, cheap machines early in our marriage--I have done them all! Now I have "the best/most expensive" machine of my life, and it is chewing up bras, twisting sheets into straw shaped tubes of wrinkes, and ripping a previously indestructable pair of my husband's sweatpants into shreads!
I know it is not the end of the world, but it is sort of disappointing, you know?

Lisa has hit on the main knock against agitator washers. It's the agitator.

Agitator washers are not going to be as gentle as front loaders, or agitatorless top loaders, because you are always going to run the risk of getting delicate items caught up in the fins of the agitator, and if you can find a washer that doesn't have fins on it's agitator, it probably isn't going to have the turnover you need for large loads.

The solution is hand wash delicate items, or buy an agitatorless top loader, or a front loader. A laundry bag might work, but I'd be concerned about creating out of balance loads.

"Agitator washers are not going to be as gentle as front loaders, or agitatorless top loaders, because you are always going to run the risk of getting delicate items caught up in the fins of the agitator"

This is just simple misuse. I do all the laundry in our house (I am a guy) and learned 15+ years ago to use a delicate laundry bag (I prefer the Woolite) for such items.

Hence, in literally hundreds and hundreds of washings of my wife's bras, stockings, etc. in my ancient TL (with agitator) Amana, never single stretched, scratched or otherwise damaged delicate item.

Oh, this washer doesn't even have a delicate cycle!

I don't think it is misuse to put a pair of sweatpants in a load of laundry and expect it to come out un-destroyed. As I said, I am 41 years old. I have had agitator washers my entire life. I do virtually all of the laundry for our family of five. I have thrown my bras and everyone's underwear into the washer since I have been old enough to do laundry, and never have had a problem before.

Our last washer was a typical agitator washer--a Kenmore super capacity that lasted 17 years of my marriage, and it never destroyed anything. Before that, plenty of other random machines--including the old Speed Queen that my mom had. She also never put anything in a delicate laundry bag. She is over 70.

I can live with an accident of one bra getting eaten by the new machine. But I have had this machine for 2 weeks and it has destroyed 3 bras, runined some almost new Addidas track pants (pulled the string almost out, shredded a leg as the string wrapped around the agitator fins), faded some black clothing that had been unfaded for the past year (washed in my old machine), and almost ruined a set of beautiful high thread count sheets by excessive twisting and wrapping around the agitator.

Since I have never had a problem with agitator washers before, I thought this machine would be similar. So far the results have been far from similar. When I brought it up to the sales person at Sears yesterday, he said that there was another woman in yesterday with the EXACT same problem, and he advised her to wash all of her clothes on the delicate cycle. I am not sure if that is a reasonable solution to this problem---because as I said I spent more money on this washer in hopes it would make laundry easier and more efficient to me. Call me crazy, but this does not seem very efficient at all.

You made no mention of sweat pants getting destroyed before. Tangled, yes, and that clothes seem more "worn out," but the only mention of destruction was the bra, which I was stating was misuse to put directly into any machine (too many hooks, straps, etc. to tangle).

If indeed the machine is destroying sweat pants or other heavy items, I'd return it pronto if I were you. most machines will cause tangling, mine does all the time. But holes, or stress marks in the fabric indicate bad design.

I've been lurking here for months becaue my Amana is on its last legs, and after reading enough to make my head hurt I'm pretty settled on the F&P Intuitive set. I only mention that because it might be something you'd want to consider if you do return the Oasis.

Please see my first, second and third post where I detailed the sweatpants getting destroyed. Anyway, I also posted the link to the Sears website where the first review on the page states that "everything tangles around the fins--including strings on sweatpants that need to be cut off to get them out"--which is exactly the same thing that happened to us. While at Sears yesterday I was talking to one salesperson about it, and another came up and said "there was a woman just here talking about the same problem with her Kenmore Oasis agitator--things were getting caught and ruined." The other salesman said --"Oh yeah--we told her her use the delicate cycle". So I am trying that, but like I said it seems strange to have to resort to using a delicate cycle for family laundry to keep a brand new washer from ruining your clothes.

I do think we will end up returning it. I am trying to figure out if I want to get the Oasis with no agitator (HE), or just get another regular Kenmore 3.2 Super Capacity like our old one. I will do more research on several machines before I decide.
Thanks,
Lisa

That sounds like a nightmare, well beyond what you would expect from any washer, new or old. I'm thinking that there has to be something quite wrong with your machine.

I suggest calling service to come and look at it. I can't believe that any reasonable service tech would look at the clothes you say have been destroyed, and tell you that there isn't something wrong. I'm sure that they'll figure out what's wrong, and then you'll have the option of either returning the unit, or getting it fixed.